Hood latch



July 24, 1956 H. p, WADE 2,756,086

HOOD LATCH Filed May 1, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l Fis l o INVENTOR. Harold1? Made ATTORNEYS H. P. WADE July 24, 1956 HOOD LATCH Filed May 1, 19525 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Harold Wade ATTORNEYS H. P. WADE July 24,1956 HOOD LATCH 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 1, 1952 INVENTOR. f/aro/o F?Wade F i .12 a 14 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O HOOD LATCH Harold P.Wade, Rocky River, Ohio, assignor to The Standard Products Company,Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 1, 1952, SerialNo. 285,380

6 Claims. (Cl. 292-226) This invention relates to hood latches and moreparticularly, to latches for automobile hoods of the alligator type,wherein the hood covers are hingedly mounted at their rear ends forswinging movement about transverse axes and wherein the latches for suchcovers are located at the front ends thereof. v

The invention has for its primary object the provision of hood latcheswhich are characterized by their structural simplicity, the economy oftheir manufacture, the ease of assembly of their parts, their strong andsturdy nature, and their operating efiiciency.

A further and more specific object of the present invention is theprovision of hood latches which include depending latch keeper meanscarried by the hood covers and latch bolt means carried by stationaryparts of the hood for the releasable retention of said latch keepermeans, and wherein said latch bolt means and said cooperating keepermeans are so constructed and arranged as to effectively hold the frontend portions of the hood covers against movement or play during travelof the automobiles.

A further and more specific object of the present invention is theprovision of hood latches which are selfcentering in operation tothereby automatically center the hood cover, irrespective of alignmentvariations between the latch bolt means and the cooperating keepermeans.

Further objects of the present invention, and certain of its practicaladvantages, will be referred to in or will be evident from the followingdescription of certain embodiments of the invention, as illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sideelevational view of an automobile hood, with parts broken away todisclose the latch therefor, the latch being constructed in accordancewith one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the latch of Fig. 1, on an enlargedscale, and with the latch bolt means and the latch keeper means inseparated relationship;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but at right angles thereto;

Fig. 4 is a detail cross sectional view of the latch bolt means, on theline 44 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 3 but showing the latch boltmeans and the latch keeper means in cooperative, latching relationship;

Fig. 6 is a detail cross sectional view of the latch bolt means and thelatch keeper means in cooperative relationship, the view being on theline 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to the lower part of Fig. 5, but showing amodified form of latch release means;

Fig. 8 is a side elevational -view of the parts shown in Fig. 7, asviewed from the left in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the front end portion of an automobile,showing the remote control release mech-. anism of or for the hood latchof Figs. 7 and 8;

Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a hood latchembodying the present invention and having a modified form of latchrelease means;

Fig. 11 is a detail cross sectional view on the line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of certain of the partsof the hood latch of Figs. 10, 11 and 12; and

Fig. 14 is a detail sectional view on the line 1414 of Fig. 12.

Before the hood latches here illustrated are specifically described, itis to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theparticular structural details or the particular arrangement of partshere shown, as hood latches embodying the present invention may takevarious' other forms. It also is to be understood that the phraseologyor terminology herein used is for purposes of description and not oflimitation, as the scope of the present invention is denoted by theappended claims.

For the disclosure of certain embodiments of the present invention,there is fragmentarily shown in Fig. 1 an automobile hood 10 of thealligator type, in which the hood cover 11 is hinged at its rear end tothe automobile cowl for swinging movement about a transverse axis,

with the front end portion of the hood cover being raised when access isdesired to the engine compartment within thehood.

As will hereinafter appear, hood latches embodying the present inventionare of the type which include a latch keeper means adapted to be securedto and to depend from the front end of a hood cover, and a latch boltmeans adapted to be secured to a stationary part of the hood at thefront end thereof for the releasable retention of said latch keepermeans. To effect the release of the latch keeper means from itsretention by the latch bolt means, manually operable release meansaccessible at the front end of the hood may be provided, as in theembodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive and inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive,or.

manually operable release means accessible at the instrument panel maybe provided, as in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs.7 to 9 inclusive.

Referring first to the embodiment of the invention as illustrated inFigs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the latch keeper means thereof comprises amounting plate 12 adapted to be bolted or otherwise rigidly secured, asat 13, to the lower surface of a ledge 14 or the like extending acrossthe hood cover at the front end thereof. Rigidly secured to saidmounting plate and depending at right angles therefrom is a latch keeper15, which may be and here is in the form of a metal strip or strap ofsufficient thickness to give it the desired strength and rigidity: Ashere shown (see Fig. 2), the upper end portion of the latch keeper islongitudinally slit to provide a pair of legs 16, which are bent intolaterally spaced and generally parallel relationship and which extendthrough suitable slots in the mounting plate 12. As best shown in Fig.2, the upper ends of such legs are rigidly secured, by any suitablemeans, to a sheet metal disc 17 lying Within a depression with which themounting plate 12 is provided and which disc is welded or otherwise'rigidly secured to said mounting plate.

Surrounding the latch keeper 15, with its upper end Patented July 24,1956 bearing against the mounting plate 12, is a coiled spring 19, thelower end of which bears against a retainer cup 20 slidably mounted onsaid latch keeper. To limit the extent of such sliding movement, andthereby to limit the extent to which said coiled spring can becompressed and expanded, the latch keeper 15 is here provided with alongitudinally disposed slot 21 (Fig. 3), and the retainer cup 20 isprovided with two convergently related tongues 22 extending into suchslot, the tongues 22 being economically formed in the present embodimentof the invention, as integral parts of the bottom wall of the retainercup. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the coiled spring 19 is normally undersuflicient compression to maintain the retainer cup 20 at the lower endof the latch keeper slot 21, and as shown in Fig. 5, said spring isfurther compressed upon the movement of the hood cover to closedposition. As a result, upon the release of the latch keeper 15 from itsretention by the hereinafter described latch bolt means, when access isdesired to the engine compartment within the hood, the coiled spring 19is effective to automatically raise the front end portion of the hoodcover a suiiicient distance to enable further raising of the cover to beeasily and conveniently manually effected.

For its releasable retention by the hereinafter described latch boltmeans, the latch keeper 15 is provided with a series of ratchet teeth 24along one side edge wall of its lower end portion, as best shown in Fig.3, said teeth being inwardly oifset with respect to the upper portion ofsuch side edge wall, in the present embodiment of the invention. Forguiding purposes, as will hereinafter appear, the opposite side edgewall of the keeper, along the lower end portion thereof, is inwardlybeveled, as at 25, with such inwardly beveled side edge wall portionmerging with the rounded bottom edge wall 26 of the keeper, as bestshown in Fig. 3.

The latch bolt means, for the releasable retention of the latch keeper15, includes a suitable mounting plate adapted to be bolted or otherwiserigidly secured, as at 28, to a ledge or the like 29 of the hood withinthe front end portion thereof. In the present embodiment of theinvention, and as best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, said mounting platecomprises a generally flat, rectangular top, portion 30 and a dependinghousing-forming flange 31 of continuous form and which surrounds agenerally rectangular opening 32 with which the mounting plate isprovided for the reception of the latch keeper when the hood cover 11 isin closed position. As here shown, the top portion 30 of the mountingplate rests upon the hood ledge or the like 29, which is provided with asuitable opening to receive the depending flange 31 of the mountingplate and also, certain other parts, hereinafter described, of the latchbolt means.

Pivotally mounted within one end portion of the generally rectangularhousing formed by the depending, continuous flange 31 of the latch boltmounting plate is a pawl 35 for cooperative engagement with the ratchetteeth 24 of the latch keeper 15. As here shown, said pawl consists of arigid metal strap having one end portion thereof bent into circularshape, as at 36, for the reception of a pivot pin 37 extending acrosssaid housing and having its ends mounted in apertures in opposedportions of the flange 31 by which said housing is formed, and havingits free end portion disposed for cooperative engagement with the latchkeeper teeth 24, the end edge 38 of such free end portion preferablybeing of beveled form, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. To provide aresilient mounting of the pawl 35, and thus to enable it to beselfaccommodating with respect to the latch keeper 15 and the ratchetteeth 24 thereof, a bushing 39 of rubber or other elastic material maybe interposed between the pivot pin 37 and the circular end portion 36of the pawl, 'as bestshown in Fig. 4.

' To yieldably urge the pawl 35 to swing about its pivot pin 37 in adirection for its releasable retention of the latch keeper 15 when thehood cover 11 is in closed position-a clockwise direction as viewed inFigs. 3, 4 and 5, a coiled tension spring 41 has one of its endsconnected to said pawl, or to a part connected thereto, and its otherend connected to the latch bolt mounting plate. As here shown, the upperend of said spring is hooked or otherwise suitably connected to adepending lug 42 with which the top portion 30 of said mounting plate isintegrally provided, and the lower end of said spring is hooked orotherwise suitably connected to the upper end portion 43 of a pawlrelease handle 44, the upper end portion of such handle being riveted orotherwise rigidly secured to said pawl. To limit such (clockwise)movement of said pawl, and thereby to enable the spring 41 to normallylocate the free end portion of the pawl in position for cooperativeengagement with the latch keeper teeth 24 upon the closing of the hoodcover 11, the upper end portion of the pawl release handle 44 is hereprovided on opposite sides of the pawl with stop lugs 45 for abuttingengagement with extensions 46 of the mounting plate housing flange 31.If desired and as here shown, the flange 31 also may be provided with aset of extensions 47 for engagement by said stop lugs 45 in limitingmovement of said pawl, and hence of the handle 44 secured thereto, inthe opposite or pawl releasing direction, all as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and5 and as will be readily understood.

As thus far described, it will be evident that the latch keeper mountingplate 12 is to be so located on the hood cover 11, and that the topportion 30 of the latch bolt mounting plate is to be so located in thehood 10, that when the hood cover is swung downwardly into closedposition relative to the engine compartment of the hood, the dependingkeeper bolt 15 will enter the opening 32 of the latch bolt mountingplate and also, of course, the opening of the rectangular housingthereof. As the hood cover reaches closed position, the latch keeperteeth 24 are so located with respect to the latch bolt pawl 35 that suchpawl is caused by its spring 41 to firmly but resiliently engage one ofsaid teeth, with the consequent retention of the keeper and hence theretention of the hood cover in closed position. In its downward movementinto cooperative latching relationship with the latch bolt pawl 35, thelatch keeper 15 is guided by its rounded bottom edge 26 and by itsinwardly beveled side edge wall 25 and also, by the rounded upper endportion of that part of the mounting plate housing flange 31 which is inopposing relation to the circular pivoted end portion 36 of the pawl 35.Moreover, because of the resilient mounting of said pawl, any alignmentvariations between the latch keeper and its cooperative latch bolt thatare likely to occur are automatically taken care of, includingmisalignments in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the hood 10,misalignments transversely thereof, and diagonal misalignments. As bestshown in Fig. 6, the pawl 35 has a width but slightly less than that ofthe housing opening, so that such. pawl is efiective for engagement withthe latch keeper teeth 24, regardless of the position of the latchkeeper in the opening 32 of said housing. A further feature of theresilient mounting of the pawl 35 is that it not only compensates formisalignment between the latch bolt and the keeper but it also firmlyholds the latch keeper, and hence the hood cover 11, against play orlost motion, as will be evident from Fig. 6. Still another feature ofthe present hood latch is the provision of a series of latch keeperteeth for latching engagement with the latch bolt pawl 35, as thisprovides, of course, a series of closed positions in which the hoodcover can be held, and thus an automatic and effective takeup for thecover, as will be readily understood.

To release the latch keeper 15, when access is desircd to the enginecompartment of the hood, the pawl handle 44.is grasped andmoved in adirection to move the pawl 35 from its retaining engagement with thelatch keeper teeth24, or in a direction to the right, Figs. 3 and 5,

with access to said handle being afforded through the grille bars 49,Fig. 1, in the present embodiment of the invention. Upon the release ofthe latch keeper 15 from its retention by the latch bolt pawl 35, thefront end portion of the hood cover is automatically raised a slightdistance, such as to that indicated in dot-dash lines, Fig. l, by thelifting spring 19 which, as shown in Fig. 5, is under considerablecompression, between the latch keeper mounting plate 12 and the topportion 30 of the latch bolt mounting plate, when the hood cover is inclosed position. From such partially raised or elevated position, thehood cover can be easily and quickly swung to fully open position, inwhich it is releasably held by means customarily provided therefor.

For safety purposes, the present hood latch has associated with it ahook-type catch 51, such as is now in more or less common use. As saidsafety catch forms no part of the present invention, it will sufiice tosay that as here shown, the upper end portion of said catch is pivotallymounted, at 52, to a depending lug of the latch keeper mounting plate12, and that by means of a coiled spring 53 connected to the upper endportion of the catch and to said latch keeper mounting plate, the hookportion of the catch is yieldingly held in a position to underlie thetop portion 30 of the latch bolt mounting plate. As a result, the safetycatch is automatically eflective to limit upward swinging movement ofthe front end portion of the hood cover, thus making it necessary tomanually swing the catch out of the way before the hood cover can beappreciably opened. For such swinging movement of the catch, it isprovided with a lateral extending lug 55 which can be readily graspedwhen it is desired to pull the catch to an out-ofthe-way position.

Instead of providing a handle accessible at the front of the hood foreffecting the release of the latch keeper 15 from its retention by thelatch bolt pawl 35, such as the handle 44 of the embodiment of theinvention of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, a flexible pull cable, having anoperating knob within the interior of the automobile, can be provided,if desired, for the release of the latch keeper.

Such a pull cable is shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, wherein the front end ofthe cable 60 is suitably connected to a bracket 61 riveted or otherwiserigidly secured to the pawl 35a and wherein the rear end of the cable isprovided with a pull knob 62 adjacent the instrument panel of thevehicle and thus in a position conveniently accessible to the vehicledriver. As will be readily understood, when the cable 60 is pulledrearwardly, the pawl 35a is moved from its retaining engagement with theteeth 24a of the latch keeper 15a, thus releasing the latch andpermitting the hood cover 11a, Fig. 9, to be swung to open position. Aswill be evident from Figs. 7 and 8, the latch thereof is identical withthat of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, except for its pawl release means.

Referring now to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. to14 inclusive, it will be noted that it differs from the embodiment ofFigs. 1 to 6 inclusive chiefly in the means by which the latch bolt pawlis releasably held in engagement with, and released from, the latchkeeper teeth.

Therefore, as in the latch of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the latch of Figs.10 to 14 inclusive has a latch keeper means which includes a mountingplate 12b for rigid securement to a part 14b of the hood cover 11b, alatch keeper 15b depending from said mounting plate and provided withratchet teeth 24b along one side edge wall of its lower end portion, anda coiled compression spring 1% surrounding said latch keeper forautomatically lifting the front end portion of the hood cover a shortdistance upon the release of the latch keeper, the upper end of saidspring bearing against the mounting plate 12b and the lower end of saidspring bearing against a retainer cup which has limited slidablemovement along said latch keeper.

Furthenas in the latch of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, the

latch of Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive has a latch bolt means which includesa mounting plate having a top portion 30b and a depending housingforming flange 31b, the top portion of said mounting flange beingadapted for rigid securement to a ledge or the like 2% of the hoodwithin the front end portion thereof. Pivotally mounted within saidhousing, on a pivot pin 37b, is the circular end portion 36b of a pawl35b for retaining engagement with the ratchet teeth 24b of the latchkeeper 15b. As before, a rubber or other elastic bushing 3% may beinterposed between the circular end portion 36b of the pawl and itspivot pin 37b, to thereby provide a resilient mounting of the pawl andthereby enable it to be selfaccommodating with respect to the latchkeeper 15b and its ratchet teeth 24b.

As thus far described, it will be evident that the latch of Figs. 10 to14 inclusive is substantially identical with the latch of Figs. 1 to 6inclusive, although it will be noted from Fig. 10 that the mounting ofthe latch keeper 15b is such as to cause it to be rearwardly inclined, adisposition which enables it to better cooperate with the latch boltpawl 35b, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

Referring now to the chief differences between the latch of Figs. 10 to14 inclusive and the latch of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive, it will be notedthat the latch of Figs. 10 to 14 inclusive has a pawl-releasing shaftwhich includes a pivoted end portion 65 journalled in a pair of spacedlugs 66 depending from and integral with the top position 30b of thelatch bolt mounting plate, a handleforming free end portion 67 which ishere located adjacent the front end of the hood 10b and convenientlyaccessible through the space 68 between the grille bars 4%, Fig. 10, andan intermediate portion 69 extending through an elongated slot 70 in theangularly disposed free end portion of a laterally extending arm 71 of abracket 72 riveted or otherwise rigidly secured to the pawl 3511. Asbest shown in Figs. 10 and 12, the pivoted end portion 65 of thepawl-release shaft is located at the rear of the mounting plate housingand extends transversely of the longitudinal axis of the hood; theintermediate portion 69 of said shaft is located along one side of saidhousing and thus extends forwardly from said pivoted end portion atsubstantially right angles thereto; and the handle forming free endportion 67 of said handle extends downwardly from said intermediateportion, at. substantially right angles thereto, and then forwardly tothe front end of the hood.

To normally urge the pawl-release shaft about the axis of its pivotedend portion 65, in a direction to cause the pawl 35b to cooperativelyengage the latch keeper teeth 24b when the hood cover 11b is in closedposition, a coiled torsional spring 74 surrounds such pivoted shaft endportion, with one end 75 of said spring having bearing engagement withthe adjacent mounting plate lug 66 and the other end of said springbeing hooked about and thus having bearing engagement with theintermediate portion 69 of said shaft. Thus, the effect of said spring,acting through said shaft and the bracket arm '71, is to normally urgethe pawl 35b in a clockwise direction, Figs. 11 and 13, with the pawlnormally occupying the full line position shown in such views forlatching cooperation with the latch keeper teeth 24b. To limit suchclockwise movement of the pawl 35b, the bracket 72 which is secured tosaid pawl, is provided with a pair of stop lugs 45b for abuttingengagement with a pair of extensions 46b of the mounting plate housingflange 31b, Fig. 11, and to limit reverse or keeper-releasing movementof said pawl, said housing flange is provided with another pairofextensions 47b for engagement with said bracket stop lugs 45, as in thelatch of Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

To release the pawl 35b from its retaining engagement with the latchkeeper teeth 24b, when access is desired to the engine compartment ofthe hood 1%, it is merely necessary to lift to the dot-dash lineposition, Fig. 10, the handle-forming front end portion 67 of the pawlre- 7 lease shaft, as this causes the intermediate shaft portion 69 toride up the inclined slot 70 in the bracket arm 71 and thus swing saidarm and the pawl 35b in a counterclockwise, keeper-releasing direction,Figs. 11 and 13. Upon such release of the latch keeper 15b, the liftspring 1% automatically effects partial elevation of the front endportion of the hood cover 11b, with full elevation thereof beingthereafter manually possible upon the movement of the safety catch 51bto an out-of-the-way positron.

Upon such elevation of the hood cover lib and its depending latch keeper15b, the latch bolt pawl 35b is automatically returned by the torsionspring 74 to its normal, full line position, Fig. 13, for latchingcooperation with the latch keeper 15b when the hood cover is nextlowered to its closing position.

To those skilled in the art to which the present invention relates,other features and advantages of hood latches embodying the presentinvention will be evident. Other embodiments than those here illustratedalso will be evident to them, such as embodiments, for example, in whichthe latch keepers are transversely disposed relative to the longitudinalaxes of the hoods and embodiments in which the latch keeper means arecarried by the hoods and the cooperating latch bolt means by the hoodcovers.

What I claim is:

t. In a latch mechanism for the releasable retention of a hood covermember in closed position relative to a hood member and wherein saidlatch mechanism includes an elongated latch keeper provided with aseries of ratchet teeth and which is adapted to be secured to one ofsaid members; a latch bolt for said latch keeper comprising a generallyflat mounting plate adapted to be secured to the other of said membersand having a latch keeperreceiving aperture surrounded by flange meansextending substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate, apivoted pawl, a spring means for releasably maintaining said pawl inlatching engagement with the ratchet teeth of said latch keeper,operator operable means for releasing said pawl from its engagement withthe ratchet teeth of said latch keeper, and resilient mounting means forsaid pawl comprising a pin extending across said aperture and having itsends mounted in said flange means, and a sleeve of compressedrubber-like material interposed between said pin and said pawl.

2. In a latch mechanism for the releasable retention of a hood covermember in closed position relative to a hood member and wherein saidlatch mechanism includes an elongated latch keeper provided with aseries of ratchet teeth and which is adapted to be secured to one ofsaid members: a latch bolt for said latch keeper comprising a generallyflat mounting plate adapted to be secured to the other of said membersand having a latch keeper receiving aperture surrounded by flange meansextending substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate, a

pivoted pawl, spring means for releasably maintaining said pawl inlatching engagement with the ratchet teeth of said latch keeper,operator operable means for releasing said pawl from its engagement withthe ratchet teeth of said latch keeper, and resilient mounting means forsaid pawl comprising a pin extending across said aperture and having itsends mounted in said flange means and a sleeve of compressed rubber-likematerial interposed between said pin and a generally circular endportion of said pawl which surrounds said pin.

3. In a latch mechanism for the releasable retention of a hood covermember in closed position relative to a hood member and wherein saidlatch mechanism includes an elongated latch keeper provided with aseries of ratchet teeth and which is adapted to be secured to one ofsaid members: a latch bolt for said latch keeper comprising a generallyflat mounting plate adapted to be secured to the other of said membersand having a latch keeper-receiving aperture surrounded by flange meansextending substantially normal to the plane of said mounting plate, apawl pivotally mounted on said flange means in said aperture, springmeans for releasably maintaining said pawl in latching engagement withthe ratchet teeth of said latch keeper, and operator operable means forreleasing said pawl from its engagement with the ratchet teeth of saidlatch keeper, said flange means being provided with aligned V-shapednotches and said pawl being provided with projections movable in saidnotches and effective to limit pivotal movement of the pawl.

4. in a latch mechanism for the releasable retention of a hood covermember in closed position relative to a hood member and wherein saidlatch mechanism includes an elongated latch keeper provided with aseries of ratchet teeth and which is adapted to be secured to one ofsaid members: a latch bolt for said latch keeper and adapted to besecured to the other of said members, said bolt including a pawl forlatching engagement with the ratchet teeth of said latch keeper, springmeans for releasably maintaining said pawl in a position in which it iseffective to retainably engage said latch keeper teeth when the hoodcover member is in closed position, and operator controlled means formoving said pawl out of its retaining engagement with said latch keeperteeth, said operator controlled means comprising a shaft having apivotally mounted end portion, an intermediate portion operativelyconnected to said pawl, and an end portion for operator operation, saidintermediate shaft portion being at substantially right angles to saidshaft end portions.

5. In a latch mechanism for the releasable retention of a hood covermember in closed position relative to a hood member and wherein saidlatch mechanism includes an elongated latch keeper provided with aseries of ratchet teeth and adapted to be secured to one of saidmembers: and a latch bolt for said latch keeper comprising a generallyflat mounting plate adapted to be secured to the other of said membersand provided with a latch keeper-receiving aperture and with ahousing-forming flange surrounding said aperture on one face of saidplate, a pin extending across said aperture and having its ends mountedin said housing-forming flange, a pawl having one of its ends pivotallymounted on said pin and having its other end adapted for latchingengagement with the ratchet teeth of said latch bolt, spring means forreleasably maintaining said pawl in a position in which it is effectiveto retainably engage said latch keeper teeth when the hood cover memberis in closed position, and an operating lever for said pawl having amanipulating portion and an anchor portion secured to said pawl, saidspring means having one end thereof secured to said lever anchor portionand its other end secured to said mounting plate.

6. In a latch mechanism for the releasable retention of a hood covermember in closed position relative to a hood member and wherein saidlatch mechanism includes an elongated latch keeper provided with aseries of ratchet teeth and adapted to be secured to one of saidmembers: and a latch bolt for said latch keeper comprising a generallyfiat mounting plate adapted to be secured to the other of said membersand provided with a latch keeper-receiving aperture and with ahousing-forming flange surrounding said aperture on one face of saidplate, a pin extending across said aperture and having its ends mountedin said housing-forming flange, a pawl having one of its ends pivotallymounted on said pin and having its other end adapted for latchingengagement with the ratchet teeth of said latch keeper, spring means forreleasably maintaining said pawl in a position in which it is elfectiveto retainably engage said latch bolt teeth when the hood cover member isin closed position, and an operating lever for said pawl having amanipulating portion and an anchor portion secured to said pawl, saidspring means having one end thereof secured to said lever anchor portionand its other end secured to said mounting plate and projections carriedby said lever anchor portion for engagement with 9 1G projections ofsaid housing-forming flange to limit pivotal 1,804,387 Dorsey et a1. May12, 1931 movement of said pawl. 2,209,886 Hill July 30, 1940 2,211,829Krause ..Aug. 20, 1940 References Cited in the file of this patent 6 5223,53 1 33 y 1941 3 May 27, 1941 311765 UIETED iTATES PATENTSF b 3 18852,523,814 Claud-Mantle Sept. 26, 1950 anmac er e 426,803 Hams Apr. 29,1890 FOREIGN PATENTS 780,481 Crawford Jan. 17, 1905 679,097 France Jan.5, 1930

